Airfix Box Art by Roy Cross - Nostalgia is a (beautiful) thing of the past!

[@Spitfiresammons]

RIP Roy Cross Thank you for amazing arts of Airfix (1924-2024)

[@vincentlefebvre9255]

So sad he died just a few days ago. R.I.P. mr. Cross.

[@Spitfiresammons]

@@vincentlefebvre9255 indeed he died of his illness just a day after his 100th birthday.

[@whirlybird3189]

I always thought of kits as adventure in a box. I'm sure the box art helped fuel that feeling... 60 + years for me, and the kits are still fascinating.

[@MakingModelsAgain]

Every time I see a painting by Roy Cross, it takes me back to some point in my childhood. Magical!

[@alanwright6235]

Oh my! I'm ten years old again. Those were the days. Brought back loads of great memories.

[@clementevaldez1271]

There is no need to try to explain the feeling that the box cover art evokes in us modelers of old.... Pure joy that takes you to a world gone by.... thanks for your posting......old modelers don't die...we just fade away.....

[@hafstrat]

The Sunderland was my favourite. Big n chunky. Kept my humbrol paints and glue in the empty box. Stared at the box for hours. Burned into my memory. Wonderful to see these again. Wonderful.

[@jasonkristunas9427]

the excitement of running down to my local model shop "Russ" on battersea rise with my pocket money the 70's were the best time to be a kid.

[@MakingModelsAgain]

Absolutely!

[@MJ-nn1ox]

Forgot about this fine shop - ironically my sister dated the nephew of the owner of the shop many years before I found out!

[@ianpotts3819]

Yeah I know its a shame

[@lowersaxon]

True.

[@jay0kew]

i just have seen my youth passing by ! those boxes were awesome. you could stare for hours at them.

[@MakingModelsAgain]

jay0kew It's like a printed time-machine!

[@consul6262]

Thanks for posting, that took me back, I must have made most of these. In my late sixties now, but can still remember my first model, which was Junkers 87 Stuka, didn't have such great artwork then, came in a plastic bag.

[@irishplucker]

This is amazing....I remember nearly all of these.....instantly transported back to childhood and the excitement of getting a kit......Best years .....thank you so much.

[@hermanexx]

Just looked at these wonderful paintings with my son. I made some Airfix kits in the 80s - after this era - but I get nostalgic and strangely sad when I see them and recall the journeys to the model shop on my bicycle as a lad. My son is 12 and has made over 20 kits by himself, mostly old ones he’s found in charity shops and some with the Roy Cross artwork too. I’ve got great respect for him as I already felt like a lone young modeller in the 80s. These days it’s an extremely rare hobby for young blokes - all my son’s mates are on their computers. Thanks for posting this and making that bridge over the years.

[@mikromodelleu]

Althoug I'm german I was grown up with Matchbox die casts and Airfix plastic kits. HMS Nelson, HMS Hood, Bismarck and so on swum in my bath tub. It was a wonderful time. Thank you for the memories :-)

[@MakingModelsAgain]

Those box arts of our youth were amazing, weren't they?

[@gerrywatson261]

I had the Tirpitz, Scharnhorst and Admiral Blucher as well Hood, Ark Royal and Manxman. Spent many hours putting together and painting them. Many happy memories!

[@MrAlumni72]

Bathtub navies were, and still are, the best navies!

[@MG-id7hl]

What beautiful artwork in the pre cgi era. I remember as a kid in the 70s saving my pocket money and every couple of weeks, I'd got to the toy shop and buy a kit in a blister pack. No matter how the kit turned out, in my mind it was always what was on the pack. That's what sold modelling to a small boy....and more than 40 years on, I still love the hobby. The artwork sells the kit. No doubt about it.

[@MakingModelsAgain]

Actually, those little Saturday morning trips are some of my most cherished memories - I can still smell the model shop I used. The great thing about it was it was a narrow shop that kept the kits at the far end. You had to walk past railway sets - including a huge working layout, RC stuff, some toys and various other stuff to get to that Aladdin's cave at the back. Utter Heaven on Earth.

[@johnallen8670]

Fantastic artwork...and memories building airfix...thanks Roy for the enjoyment you gave me and millions of others....and still do .

[@StratoArt]

Farewell Roy, you were a great inspiration to me for many years!

[@smeg1959]

I learnt the news from a modelling friend in the UK. Roy turned 100 on 23 April but sadly passed away the following day after a short illness, according to his son, Anthony. I have fond memories of buying Airfix kits in the old hanging bags back in the '60's and swooning over the brilliant artwork on each. I sincerely hope that any re-releases of Airfix kits continue to feature Roy's amazing artwork. His legacy deserves to live on. RIP.

[@raticide4you]

As a dutch boy, I bought and assembled dozens of these aircraft in the early and mid 60ies in The Hague, Holland. The small ones that were sold in a plastic bag with just the image and the exploded view stapled to it were incredibly cheap. I still can recall the price: 1,45 dutch florins, which was next to nothing for these products of such a high standard. Once finished you could place them on a transparent plastic mounting, that sometimes had to be reversed, when the center of gravity was placed in the front half of the plane. Thanks for your presentation. It brings back sweet memories.

[@agedflier9129]

The plastic bags(series 1) were 2 shillings series 3 were 3 shillings and the bigger ones(forget series) were 7shillings and 6 pence.

[@ARLO999]

Yep, my first was the BF 109 with the B-17's behind, shown....Dad just plonked it on the table with glue, said, have a go at that....still here, 60, making them!..that was 1966/7 i guess.

[@pwareham61]

Ah the plastic bags, my mom used to pop in and buy these for me at a local model shop.

[@zzzyxwv]

Me tooooo👍🤪

[@oddballsok]

The same 1:72 scale messerschmitt would set you back now at 15 euro/USD ish... That is not only real inflation, but also a relative inflated price. 1 hour minimum wage now = 1 model. 1 hour minimum wage in 19705 florins = 2,5 models... sigh.

[@reay878]

Moving tribute video to Roy Cross & Vangelis. Art I had seen, music I had not heard. Two of the best. Thanks for sharing this.

[@Defiant1940]

R.I.P. Roy, your legacy will live on.

[@AlexModeling]

This video made me cry.. and laugh... thank you that... thank you.. those were the days...

[@AlexModeling]

So many memories... this video made me smile... those were the days...

[@AlexModeling]

I never get tired of seeing this video...

[@RubyMarkLindMilly]

Why have I got tears in my eyes amazing simply amazing

[@molthemackem1]

I have just sat and watched 60 years of my Airfix life go crashing by...I/m in tears after watching this...

[@Stansman63]

I think the box art often excited me more than the kit inside..

[@AlexModeling]

One of my favorite vídeos! I Will always thank you for this one and all your vídeos! They and you are missed! Cheers

[@meguro65well55]

I remember buying the Sunderland flying boat back in the sixties, it was the most expensive Airfix kit then. It cost me ten and sixpence, (That's fifty two and a half pence!!!) The artwork certainly brings back many happy memories. To all those people who moan about ' living in the past, remember this "Nostalgia is good but not as good as it used to be. 😁👍

[@SBKPete]

Being 57 years old ,that brought back so many happy memories for me. A few of my favourite models, were the Airfix HMS Victory, Honda CB750 motorcycle and a vintage London fire engine. Thank you for uploading

[@allosaurusfragilis7782]

God i remember virtually every one. Probably built most of them too. Sometimes i wonder if it was the glue i was addicted to! I can also remember the story lines to many commando books as well. Theres probably a vid about them on this as well. Happy days.

[@anridapu]

Great memories indeed! I would read the Airfix catalogues for hours and my imagination would immerse me right into the scenarios. It was the same with my Commando comics too (which I still have!) Such a great time to be a kid!

[@xiejianfa]

thanks for bringing back the past. it was such wonderful times when i was a teenager, fixing the model planes/ships from Airfix/Matchbox then. It was considered a luxury hobby cos my family was not so rich and I would save up from my pocket money and buy one each week. I enjoyed assembling and painting the models. It was such great memories! Now already 50 of age, I do still have the passion to build 1 or 2 once in a blue moon....ha ha. Our love for this things never die! It just fades away..

[@MakingModelsAgain]

You're more than welcome, sir! I think because we had no internet in those glory days, we only had the box art as reference material, so they have been studied to the point of being firmly etched in our memories, so when this book came out, it was a total no-brainer that I had to have it and like yourself, each turn of every page, brought something flooding back!

[@mh53j]

MakingModelsAgain that's the truth about reference work! No where close to what's available today. You know what it was like trying to find anything on the Vietnam War here in the US in the 70s? Or color for Waffen SS uniforms? Lucky to have found anything in black and white let alone colour.

[@Mell1888]

God that took me back ,waiting in Woolworths or Clyde model dockyard in Glasgow to get my next Airfix kit. I would then go home build and paint kit, but more importantly try to copy the box art. I still spend hours doodling all sotrs of thing but the art on the boxes packs were so inspiring. With Christmas approaching any friends or family reading this would love to see this book in my stocking.

[@sacradotjoannes]

Did not know that Roy had died! God rest his soul, a man that did so much to make my childhood so enjoyable!

[@davidbrims5825]

Good Lord ! This brings back memories, my brother had the Sunderland flying boat model, when I saw that great picture I feel like 10 again as it was yesterday. I kept the boxes for the artwork. Growing up in the 1970s, Airfix, Commando comics, ladybird books was part of ones life. Where has the time gone ? Feeling wistful.

[@pag1413]

Took me back to the bike shop who sold model kits in 1974-i'd save my money & take forever picking a kit on the box art alone & the price! I'm 9 again seeing this ! Thank You & Great Music!

[@glennrobinson1835]

Thanks for the memories Gary built the vast majority of them more than once! The years melted away and I was back in my childhood, happy happy days. You've made a sixty something very happy but also a little sad for those days thank you Gary

[@MakingModelsAgain]

+Glenn Robinson They were sort of magical, weren't they? :)

[@13thBear]

I have so many aircraft kits that never got built. My favorites were the "Dragons Tail," B-24 and the "Bit o'Lace" B-17. Such great box art for these two. Oh, to be a teenager again with a collection of Airfix planes. I think I still have my very first kit- the Wellington bomber. Really eye catching, but it never got built because the fuselage was malformed. I think I got that kit in Marquette, Michigan, about 1962-4. Oh well, so many memories of simpler times.

[@guillermohorruitiner1232]

You have touch that kid still in my heart. Nostalgia, I am 67.

[@AlexModeling]

well... cameback again! When i want to recharge my memorys batteries this is one of the videos i have to see... music.. video... everithyng on it makes me smile... and almost cry... again thanks for this one Gary... i think i will be thanking you each time i come here

[@krandom9283]

I'm 55 this takes me back to the early 70s Fantastic!

[@madharry45]

What a great trip down memory lane. I've been building models since I was 7 years old and that was 60 years ago. Airfix kits were available here in the USA quite early on. I now have something close to 926 unbuilt model kits and I've never owned a shop and I'm not a collector, but it takes a hell of alot less time to buy them then it does to build them. Oh well he who dies with the most toys wins.

[@mh53j]

madharry45 but how many times did you build these in your head?

[@micheltangy2725]

In daily stress I watch Roy Cross and I feel better already.

[@Sheerwater909]

Six minutes of pure nostalgia.

[@MakingModelsAgain]

John Brooks They are indeed. :)

[@mickc6987]

A quite wonderful reminder of the way we boys spent our youth :) Many of these kits should be re-issued as there are many examples of forgotten British designs that should be remembered.

[@MakingModelsAgain]

Mick C Indeed x10! :)

[@gailraby1722]

Took me over 15 minutes to watch the video, I had to keep pausing it to look at the picture, I had forgotten some of them, I think I made most of the aircraft shown, funny how the art sticks in your memory. Thanks for sharing. Happy times, 1970s, the smell of the glue and the excitement of the finished model, they were toys for me, I made them to play with not look at. The first model I painted was a 24 scale Stuka, remember that like it was last week, my first 1/24th.

[@АйратЛогар-л6п]

Привет, AIRFIX!!! С 90х годов нравятся ваши модели!!! 👍👍👍👍👍👏👏👏👏👏

[@ashbickley]

I remember having the Sunderland kit with that artwork. fantastic stuff

[@mecongberlin]

Even though I didn’t own many of the shown models, I do remember their box art. Shows how legendary Airfix and its boxes once was.

[@brianartillery]

Thank you so much for that. I will admit to sitting here with a tear in my eye - some of those models, and, other than the motorcycles, I had most you showed - reminded me of friends I had, that I swapped kits with, etc., who are no longer with us; the B. A. C. Strikemaster I gave as a present to a schoolfriend who didn't see his twentieth birthday, was one in particular. I hadn't thought of him for years, but seeing the box art stopped me in my tracks. Beautiful music, too. Thanks again.

[@rideyourbikent]

I built many many Airfix kits as a young kid through my youth and it was inspired by the magnificent Roy Cross art work not the kit in the box . Lucky for Airfix he worked for them .

[@reay878]

Rewatched, brings back innocence & the world of make believe. Wonderful memories. Heartwarming.Thanks again. Subscribed

[@Duececoupe]

Bought an older Airfix, Esci and a Matchbox catalogue a wee while back....the feeling of becoming that wee lad again, sitting on the room, going through these back then, having no worries, no work, no bills, just trying to decide what kit to buy next, is, if nothing else....priceless!! Time for a cuppa and get these out again I think....

[@kingoftadpoles]

Very, very nostalgic. Plastic bag kits in Woolies shop on their own rack. The Short Stirling... what a monster for 13s 6d (67.5p), and on a school trip I kept back all my spending money to buy the B-17. Today I bought my first kit in ages, the Jackal 1/48.

[@bengello]

Lovely, brings back lots of memories. Roy Cross certainly had a lot of talent. Thanks for posting.

[@TheCombatartist]

Roy Cross was one talented illustrator, what he could do with gouache was masterful.

[@jagerfaust2009]

Wow, what memories. Pocket money = Airfix, Bubble gum cards and Commando magazine. The smells and glue finger prints including what seems to be lost today "imagination". Blood pressure's lower after watching this, thanks and cheers!

[@kebmel8668]

Wonderful artist, thanks for posting.

[@richardtallent8175]

Thank you!☺👍 great video. Thanks for bringing back a lot of happy memories from my younger years. Lots of tears of joy😢. I built a number of these. Starting modeling in 1967, age 5. I am impressed, & now subscribing. Thanks.

[@xiejianfa]

@MakingModelsAgain they're priceless to us....am glad my youngest son is following my footsteps now....

[@macwhites]

absolutely beautiful art from ol roy.i want to paint like that! when i was a kid the paintings reeled me in, i could hear the engines roaring, the gunfire, the sea surging so exciting.can still remember the names of the aircraft and ships.thanks

[@pwareham61]

Nostalgia Overload, I remember all of these pictures on boxes and more than likely built all of them. All beautiful, but the one that stands out for me is the Black Widow.

[@av8tor261]

Building some of these kits is the reason I'm a Pilot/Aircraft Maintenance Engineer today.

[@stiletto56]

Don't tell me real aircraft have the nose weighted with Plasticine and airgun pellets or have gluey thumb marks on the canopy! Happy times, Happy days.

[@stephenvince9994]

same here....a career as a commercial pilot came right out of those boxes for me....

[@hertzair1186]

AV8TOR : me too...mostly Revell, Hawk, Lindberg, Monogram....a few Airfix, but they were not as common in the states, except rebadged as MPC kits...

[@CB1000FP1]

My grandad bought me my first airfix model in the late 50s or early 60s when I was about 8 or 9 it was the Avro Lancaster bomber, I made a bit of a mess of it with an out of control tube of glue but I improved over the years

[@barrytaylor6565]

you know i had a little weep watching this, im 67yrs old and still remember the thrill of buying a model normally from Woolworths with my pocket money, i usually finished it that day but always enjoyed every second doing it. Now im retired and think, shall i start again, but i think it woudnt have the same thrill now , ah well !!!!

[@Spartanm333]

Great video, thanks for posting. Many memories from 40 years ago building some of these from about 10 or 11 - the Ark Royal and Westland Lynx I remember the artwork well. I cut out and kept my box art for many years but, sad to say, too many house moves have seen much of it lost, but not all! I recently made a De Havilland Sea Venom with my son which I found stored unopened after 17 years... great fun with this and a change for him from the PS4

[@agedflier9129]

60 years of my lifetime.. I'm now 70.

[@freddywarren69]

The Sunderland box art rocked. That was the best of a great bunch.

[@lewistaylor1965]

Wonderfull..Wonderfull Vid....Great memories for me as a child and then young teenager building most of the kits you have here...I had nearly all the WW2 aircraft kits you show...and recocnise all but 2 of the art work too...Actually the last pic of the spit IX was one of my first...as a child I remember thinking 'why isnt that spit brown and green' like the Battle of Britain (movie) spits?..and 'What was that little leaf next to the coxkpit?'.... I had about 10 of that kit...Happy Memories..THX

[@Macks_100]

Although the new Airfix arts are pretty good, nothing will beat these classic drawings. They were amazing, and made the kits stand out!

[@gregking9935]

Watching that video transported me back to my Nan & Grandads prefab in B`ham in the early 70`s the little spare room packed full of Airfix kits and the waft of enamel paints. Must start making models again. Thanks for sharing your book

[@allgood6760]

Thanks for the memories 👍

[@vicentebaltazar6458]

My introduction to scale modelling began with an airfix catalogue my dad gave me when I was ten... Most of it contained Roy's artwork . 40 years have passed and I still have it . It never fails to bring back a lot of good memories.

[@Yaris510]

Magnificent - a fitting tribute to some of the greatest artwork (to some of the greatest model kits) ever created

[@garyduffy5953]

That was fantastic. 👍

[@robertvoss6145]

That was a great trip down memory lane. thanks for sharing

[@MakingModelsAgain]

You're welcome. :)

[@magazineman3910]

I don't know which I like best..... The art work, or the trip back to my youth, or Your production. SUPERB!!

[@MakingModelsAgain]

It's funny, I can see one of these paintings and can still remember where I built it, eg, I remember building the Mitchell on the carpet in front of the telly on aSaturday night. Sportscene was on!

[@paulsnell534]

As a Kid I loved the Airfix model catalogues. I had lots of the Airfix molded small soldiers.. and the Gun emplacement Diorama set. If only they had published a small set of wargaming rules with them too they could have created something WW2 style in the same scope as say Warhammer... because they had some amazing boxed soldier sets like Matchbox did in in the 80's

[@MrAlumni72]

I'm from the US so I never had a ready supply of Airfix kits, so I had to deal with Aurora (with those raised lines showing where the decals should go), Revell and Monogram - but these works of art certainly show me what I missed! Thanks for sharing!! (I'm also jealous of having a model shop so close to home that you could walk (or run, in most cases) to it - the closest one for me was a few towns over, but my father would usually take me there when I needed a new kit to build. And we all know it wasn't wanting a new kit - it was NEEDING one!

[@consul6262]

Your last sentence, summed it up perfectly, oh that need lol.

[@NewbType07]

i'm actually gealous that I am not old enough to have seen these works of art at their debut. beautiful, absolutely beautiful.

[@MakingModelsAgain]

It was a magical experience that has ingrained itself into our minds.

[@peterdontcare6161]

Fantastic art I only recently discovered Roy Cross's art and it makes me wanna buy a kit to try out thanks for showing it.

[@ianconway9432]

Great way to travel back in time to other happy days.

[@kevinmccumskay9046]

Theres something about the artwork of Roy Cross that always sends a shiver down my spine and sends me back to my childhood. Probably harkens back to when I was about twelve, saturday morning...Junior Choice on the radio, get up and watch the Multi Coloured Swap Shop then off to Thompsons in the High Road Woodford Green to spend my pocket money on an Airfix kit which usually paid for a Series 1, series 2 was a save up job, and 3,4 ,5 etc was a birthday and xmas job. My fav artwork? RCs Wellington

[@Stansman63]

I had many of these kits, it's like seeing old friends again.

[@teatime6597]

Beautiful! The memories. The music!

[@daviddennison4287]

Cool stuff thanks all brings back memories of a much better time used to have stores all around with awesome stuff nothing like today several places I used to walk to including Stewart's 4 blocks away from my parents house and almost forgot about little store even closer they all had cool stuff model cars planes tanks etc. AND CHEAP! Thanks for video and memories

[@pag1413]

Wonderful ! Thank You! Took me right back to the 70's! Hit a nerve for a man! not many things touch you!

[@MakingModelsAgain]

It's amazing, the power of art - 2D time machine!

[@jakecutter5125]

What a fantastic video to a fantastic book it brought back memories of being a young lad again...

[@jonbell3020]

Fair play to your wife mate, that’s a beautiful present.

[@inglesconalan5360]

Thanks so much for this. I used to spend hours drooling over the catalogue. I recognise every picture.

[@raytheron]

Ahhh the days gone by! I have such endearing memories of building Airfix models (rather badly, no doubt!) as a youngster in my early teens. Hurricane, Bolton Paul Defiant Night fighter, Stuka, DH Beaver, Tiger Moth... these were my very first models when I was 12 - 14.

[@achimnave8199]

[@laurentgriffon698]

Que de souvenirs !! Cela me rappelle toute mon enfance où je dévorais les catalogues Airfix. Cette marque était l'une de mes préférées avec également Matchbox. Rien que de revoir ces oeuvres d'art de l'immense Roy Cross me ramène presque il y'a 45 ans quand j'ai découvert les maquettes Airfix.

[@AlexModeling]

And again... reviving old times.. thanks dor this one! Again...

[@nicogman8469]

Not seen a recent comment from you man!! Gotta keep with the old times!!

[@lowersaxon]

Cross, the ARTIST.

[@captainjayc9217]

Airfix box art is TOP NOTCH!

[@edak482]

Thanks for this nice video, the music and fantastic Art Work. Unbelievable that there are 28 idiots giving it the thumbs down !!

[@JOHNO1910]

Fantastic, i must have built most of these kits throughout the years, and always admired the artwork on the boxes.. The B29 was one of my favourites !

[@kellybreen5526]

Awesome paintings.... Matchbox was no slouch either and they had a little blurb about an event right on the box. I recall the Re-8 that had the crew hit 11 times shoot down 3 DVII's and somehow survive their wounds, the 428 Ghost Squadron Wimpy that took a direct hit to the tail but made it back...... every painting and story was epic. I am going to search out this book.

[@justluvit1000]

Making Models Again, watched all your vids. They are just great. Lovely models, nice camera work underscored with beautiful music. Looking forward to seeing more from you soon.

[@bugattieb110ss]

The Mighty Sunderland fighting off the Condoe has to be one of my favorites, along with the Series 4 (I think?) badly shot up Lancaster trying to land with his engine on fire. Fantastic.

[@timwingham8952]

My childhood in artwork. Those box tops captured me completely. Still do.

[@MakingModelsAgain]

I can even remember where I built some of them - the weather... the time of day... all by seeing the box art!

[@timwingham8952]

I remember buying the Hampden - I walked home from the model shop staring at the box art and walked into a lamp post. These days the equivalent happens using mobile phones.

[@MakingModelsAgain]

Whereas we spent a lot of our youth looking at the sky, there's now an entire generation who don;t even know the sky exists!